Українська тематика на сторінках львівського часопису «Ruś» (1911 р.)

Abstract

Introduction. The article covers the issue of presenting Ukrainian topics on the pages ofone of Lviv’s crypto-historical journals called «Ruś» Czasopismo poświęcone dziejom i kulturze Ukrainy,Podola, Wołynia i Rusi Czerwonej». The periodical was published during 1911, and the initiator of itscreation was a well-known Polish publicist and writer, amateur historian F. Ravita-Gavronsky, whoshared and actively developed and popularized national- democratic ideas.The purpose of the article. To find out, based on the analysis of a number of illustrative publications,the image of Ukraine and Ukrainians that appeared on the pages of the journal «Ruś».Research results. The basis of the content of the publication were works on the history and cultureof the eastern territories of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - the so-called «kresy»(peripheral lands). The analysis of these materials gives an idea of the specifics of the position of theauthors of the journal on the past of Ukraine and Ukrainians. Researchers united around the journalRuś demonstrated a strong Polish-centric view of the common history, which did not contribute much toPolish-Ukrainian scientific cooperation. The authors of the journal were mostly from Lviv, who eithertook their first steps in science or were not professional researchers of past. The insufficiently competitivescientific level of the materials published in the pages of Ruś journal and the lack of public interestnegatively affected the possibility of the project’s existence.Originality. The article managed to explore the peculiarities of interpretations by Polish historiansthe image of Ukraine and Ukrainians that appeared on the pages of the journal Ruś. Conclusion. The content of the publication was based on works on the history and culture of theeastern territories of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, mostly by Lviv authors who eithertook their first steps in science or, like F. Ravita-Gavronsky, were not professional researchers of past.Therefore, according to the level of research and criticism published in the pages of the journal «Ruś»,it could not compete with professional scientific periodicals. At the same time, the topics proposed fordiscussion on its pages did not find widespread support in Polish society.